News and views about legal academia and the legal profession by Brian Leiter (University of Chicago) and Dan Filler (Drexel University)

June 30, 2012

Visiting Professors at the Top Law Schools, 2012-13, 2nd Draft

MOVING TO FRONT FROM JUNE 5

As I've done before, I'm posting a list of the visiting professors (who hold university appointments elsewhere) at the top six law schools, the schools that are "top six" by almost all measures of faculty quality--which are also the schools that also typically have the most visiting professors on a regular basis. While many visiting stints are made with an eye to possible permanent appointment, not all are; some are so-called "podium" visits, which aim to fill an immediate teaching need at the school. By my calculation, for example, less than 10% of the visits last year resulted in (or are in process of resulting in) offers of permanent employment--but a somewhat higher percentage of the non-podium visits resulted in such offers. Often visitors from local schools in the area are invited for podium visit purposes--though some "locals" may also be "look-see" visitors, i.e., under consideration for appointment. NYU also has a fair number of "enrichment" and "global" visitors, well-known senior folks who are keen to spend some time in New York, but who aren't necessarily interested in, or being considered for, lateral moves. (Columbia gets some of these folks too.) From the outside, of course, it's very hard to tell all these apart, so here, without further comment, are the visiting professors for 2011-12; please e-mail me about omissions or corrections, and I will update the list at various intervals over the next couple of months and move it to the front.

Please note that not every visit, below, is for the entire academic year; indeed, my guess is at least half are not, meaning students can expect many of these faculty to *also* be teaching at their home institution. In the case of HLS, many of the visitors come in the Winter Term, i.e., just the month of January.

Please also note that this is supposed to be a list of visiting faculty who have gone through some kind of appointments process at the school at which they are visiting, whether a process for look-see visitors, "enrichment" visitors, or podium visitors. These are supposed to be faculty who are teaching at the host school and who are being paid by the host school to teach.

It's striking how much schools like Harvard and NYU appear to have cut back on visitors in recent years; Yale on the other hand, has an unusually large number relevative to recent years.

June 29, 2012

2012-13 Hiring Seasons Begins...

June 28, 2012

Craig-Taylor Named Dean at NCCU

North Carolina Central University School of Law announced the appointment of Phylliss Craig-Taylor as its new dean. She is currently an associate dean at Charlotte School of Law. Craig-Taylor, who holds her JD from the University of Alabama, replaces outgoing dean Raymond Pierce. She will take the position next month.

June 25, 2012

In Memoriam: Ann Scales

Professor Ann Scales, from the University of Denver School of Law faculty, passed away Sunday. She was 60. Scales, a feminist law scholar, previously taught at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Al Brophy writes more about her here.

ABA/LSAC to Audit Incoming Class Data Reported by Schools

Achieve Greatness: Jumpstart That US News Ranking

It's now clear from the UVa Board of Visitors emails that the Rector and Vice-Rector were worried about spin control early on in the process of forcing out President Sullivan. The Influential UVa donor and alumnus, John Paul Jones, joined that effort with his June 17 op-ed reasserting the need for a radical change in leadership. "Change is never easy", he expained, but "It is time for a revolution." His first "alarming" proof of the sorry state of affairs at UVa requiring removal of a two year old university president:

"UVa’s U.S. News and World Report ranking has fallen steadily since 1988 — from No. 15 to No. 25, with a ding from No. 24 taking place as early as last year."

That, plus the "distressing" fact of a 43% yield on admissions. (Imagine how they're feeling at Duke, with its 42% yield.)